Cellphones aren't as dangerous as you probably now think. (Shutterstock)

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While much of the techno-savvy world screamed "WTF?" at a WHO panel's announcement that cell phones might have something to do with cancer, Slate's Farhad Manjoo simply LOL'd. "When you dig into this issue, the decision seems to be an over-cautious interpretation of the current understanding of cell phones and our brains," he writes. "There's very little in the research about cell phones and cancer to suggest we should consider them to be among the more deadly products we come into contact with every day."

We probably suspect cell phones "because they're new, and they're everywhere," writes Manjoo. "The paranoia over cancer reflects this sudden, uneasy intimacy: What if these alien devices are silently killing us?" But the new finding comes from results that were "wildly inconclusive—and, according to its own authors, the study was most probably flawed." Worst case, it seems that extremely heavy users without headsets might face a slightly higher risk. "When it comes to cancer, you likely face more danger going out into the sun than you do on a cell phone," he writes.

Unless I remain vigilant, a cellphone - or actually the user - may kill me. I ride a bicycle almost daily, and I cannot even estimate the close calls from distracted drivers on their cellphones. I have to ride like every driver is out to hit me. I am a very non-sexist person, but here is where I make an exception. Mommies in vans are like ten times worse than guys in pickup trucks when it comes to cellphone distraction.

boxcar

Jun 3, 2011 10:44 PM CDT

But your Cell Phone CAN kill you, not from cancer but from SUA, sudden unattended accerleration of a car- Google "cell phone frequency" and 800MHz is the operating frequency of about a 14" wave length of UHF radio frequency which hooks up with halfwave conductors of 7" length- Any wire conductor of 7" length that protrudes into cockpit of your vehicle (Turn Signal Arm) will act as an antenna to pick up this digital signal and Cruise Control CPU instructs throttle control to achieve that speed you dialed. Dial 911 & it gets worse- international signal of 112 is also transmitted by your hand held RF generator- Fuzzy logic of CPU ignores 911mph, but knows it can achieve 112mph, so its "off you go". Rhonda Smith testified "God Intervened" when she called her husband and car speed dropped to 35mph. NO ONE asked what number she dialed Last thing gov't needs is antother car company to bail out, so they will just OUTLAW cell phone use- duh